Final salute from Prince of Darkness

Ozzy's last gig is a banger

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THE bat-munching messiah of metal music, Ozzy Osbourne, has bid an emotional farewell to tens of thousands of adoring fans at his final live performance.

Ozzy's beloved Villa Park — the football ground just yards from where he grew up in Aston, Birmingham raucously welcomed the 76-year-old for one last heavy metal homecoming on Saturday.

Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Metallica, Ronnie Wood and a host of other stadium-filling legends lined up to pay harmonious homage to their rock king in the 12-hour musical marathon dubbed Back to the Beginning.

More than 42,000 fans packed the venue, with a peak live stream audience of 5.8 million watching online.

One final time, Ozzy reunited with the original 1970s Black Sabbath band members-Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.